July 30, 2025
Beau Stapleton, partner in Willkie’s Entertainment Transactions practice, has been named to Variety’s “Music Legal Elite,” an annual series recognizing the top attorneys in the music business.
Beau was recognized among the most accomplished dealmakers in the entertainment and media industry. Variety noted his ongoing success with high-profile transactions, including his role in Pophouse Entertainment’s $300 million-plus acquisition of the music catalogue, brand name and likeness of an American rock band.
The profile also highlighted Beau’s representation of George Benson in the sale of his music assets to HarbourView Equity, and his recent succession of private-equity backed transactions.
In discussing macroeconomic trends related to his practice, Beau told Variety, “We’re looking at government policy. We’re looking at the Federal Reserve rate cuts, because that’s going to have fairly immediate and real-world implications for the deals we do.”
Beau advises artists, composers, producers, executives, investment funds, studios, media companies, and directors on some of the most profitable and impactful deals within the entertainment industry. The accolade follows previous recognitions from Variety and Billboard, among other publications.
Read Variety’s “Music Legal Elite” 2025 list here.
